The Good Life
by Lynnlee22
Summary: Billy and Phyllis are finally living the life they want. What could possibly go wrong?
1. Chapter 1

Phyllis stared out of the glass balcony door. The Wisconsin winter had been particularly brutal this year and, after the day she'd had, going back out in the weather was the last thing she wanted to do.

But it wasn't just about her. She could hear the quick footsteps coming down the stairs and she readied her face for Katie's impending presence.

"I need some help," Katie announced, her eyebrows furrowed in slight frustration as she held the coat together with her hands. "I can't get the zipper."

"Come here," Phyllis said softly as she sat down in a chair at the dining room table and quickly zipped up the coat and smoothed the scarf down the front. "You excited about ice skating tonight?"

"Uh huh." Katie shook her head enthusiastically, "But Johnny never wants to skate with me. He says I'm too slow, but I'm only just learning." Her big eyes were wide as she explained her predicament and Phyllis couldn't help feeling a bit guilty for not being as enthused about the outing as the little girl obviously was.

"Well, soon enough you'll be just as fast as Johnny is," she whispered. She bent down and picked up Katie's ice skates. "Are you all ready to go now?"

Katie looked at her quizzically. "Where are your skates?"

"I'm just going to watch tonight." She immediately saw the light dim in the little girl's eyes, but she couldn't even pretend to have the energy for rounds around the frozen rink. It had been a hellish day. Between three meetings with Fenmore buyers, an argument with Ashley about a marketing strategy, and countless hours spent returning phone calls that Jack hadn't been able to get to yet, she was tapped out. Sleep had been a luxury the past few weeks and, if not for causing Katie such disappointment, she would have bowed out of the even altogether. "But your Daddy and Johnny are meeting us there," she smiled, "And he's going to skate with you. I'm sure of it."

Billy had enough energy for both of them. Even having just started his job at Chancellor, he still seemed invigorated by the new challenges the job brought. She was happy for him and happier still for them, but sometimes she wished he simply understood that she was truly exhausted. She looked back down at Katie who still looked disappointed.

"But I really wanted you to skate with me," she said softly, her eyes now looking down at the floor. "Daddy will be skating with Johnny and I thought you could be with me…that way Daddy and Johnny could be partners and so could we."

Phyllis sighed. She could understand Katie's plight. Billy adored her, but it was difficult when he was together with both of them, especially when the two children had such different interests. "You know what?" Phyllis couldn't help but smile as Katie's eyes lit up a bit. "Maybe you and I can do something together…just us."

"You mean like tonight?"

The excitement in her little voice was palpable and, even if she'd wanted to, she wouldn't have had the heart to back out now. "Maybe?" Phyllis said with more enthusiasm than was genuine. "How would you feel about a slumber party…just us girls?"

Katie smiled widely. "Can we bring out sleeping bags and watch movies and eat pizza in the living room?"

"Sure we can." Phyllis smiled as well then, actually feeling rather relieved at that suggestion. "I've got some sleeping bags in the closet and you can pick the movie off the tv." She watched as Katie scampered off towards the living room, lifting the remote and studying the list, before stopping short and turning to look back at her.

"What's wrong?" Phyllis asked.

"What do we tell Daddy and Johnny when they get home? If it's only girls, where will they go?"

"Well," Phyllis took a seat on the sofa beside her. "If you're okay with it," she smiled, "We could invite Daddy and Johnny as special guests once they get home tonight."

Katie sat quietly for a moment, consider the options. Finally she nodded her head. "I think that would be okay," she announced.

"I think we've got a plan then." Phyllis pushed herself back up to stand, feeling the weight of the body more than usual. At least the most exerting thing she'd have to do tonight involved laying some sleeping bags on the living room floor. Surely she could handle that.

"Hold those cups straight, Johnny." Billy glanced down and quickly reached to straighten the cardboard cup holder in the little boy's hands. "If you hold them like that, the hot chocolate will spill."

Johnny obeyed quickly, righting the cups in his hand and nodding at his father. "Okay," he said quietly. "You think they'll be surprised?"

"I do," he smiled, "And we have to make sure to tell them this was all your idea." Billy held the door open for Johnny to walk under his arm.

"We brought you …" Johnny stopped, looking back at Billy before continuing.

Katie looked over at the them, her finger pressed to her lips as she carefully scampered over to them. "Phyllis is asleep," she whispered. Her eyes moved to the cups in Johnny's hands. "Is that hot chocolate?"

"It is." Billy said quietly. "Johnny thought we should bring you and Phyllis a cup since you decided to stay in tonight. Do you want yours now?"

"Yes, please."

Billy watched as Johnny helped Katie remove the cup from the holder and opened the lid for her.

"Be careful," he warned. "It might be hot." He watched as the two of them moved over to the kitchen table to sit down. Carefully he lowered himself onto the floor, glancing at the screen as the image of some unrecognizable princess flashed by. It was almost as if she could sense his presence as she began to stir almost immediately. He watched her with a gentle smile as her eyes slowly fluttered open. "Hey," he whispered, laughing softly at the flicker of surprise in her eyes as she focused on him.

"Billy," she breathed. Her tone was initially soft, but almost immediately replaced by a swift attempt to sit up. "Katie," she said quickly. "Where's Katie?"

"She's fine." He reached out to smooth the hair behind her ear before letting his hand rest on the space between her neck and shoulder. "She's over at the table drinking hot chocolate with Johnny. I brought you a cup too, but I think Johnny may have claimed it." He flashed his best attempt at apologetic eyes at her.

Phyllis ran her hand over her face. "I didn't mean to fall asleep. I was supposed to be watching Katie."

"It's not like you fell asleep in the middle of a crowded mall or something." Billy squeezed her shoulder. "Katie was right beside you. Besides, she's perfectly fine. She was enamored with this movie …. Whatever it is."

"I know, but … I was supposed to be spending time with her and I … "

"Hey. Hey. There's plenty of time for you to spend time with Katie. It's not like tonight was your one and only chance, right? You were tired. You feel asleep. It's not a crime."

"I know, but …"

"Give yourself a break," Billy said, cutting her off before she could berate herself any further. "You've been taking on a lot at Jabot with Jack taking care of Dina and Ashley running her own agendas. I know that. It's not wonder you're worn out. In fact, why don't you go ahead and turn in. I can get the kids tucked in and I'll join you in a bit."

"You don't have to do that." The idea sounded appealing, but she hated to leave him to handle the kids alone. She'd campaigned hard to get him to fight for Victoria to allow the kids to spend time with them in their apartment. It hardly seemed fair that he would be the only one actually spending any time with them. "I want to spend time with the kids too. That's the whole reason I wanted them to be here with us. It's important to me."

"I know it is. And so do they, but that doesn't mean you're not allowed to sleep. In the morning, we can all go out and have breakfast together … unless Jabot is now requiring you to work weekends?"

"No." She smiled at him as he leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "That sounds nice. I'd like us to spend time with them. I want them to know that they have a home here too."

"They know that. We'll make sure they know that." He pulled her closer to him again, this time brushing his lips against hers and lingering there for a moment. "Right now though, I want you to go get some rest. The kids are important, but so are you."

Her heart beat a bit faster at the sincerity and warmth of his words. She could see how much he meant it and she found herself a bit taken aback by the honestly in his expression. "You're important to me too," she whispered. "Thank you for understanding."

Billy nodded as he stood and then held his hand out to help pull her to her feet. He smiled as he watched her stop at the table and place quick kisses on Johnny and Katie's heads. When he thought of his family, he'd always envisioned his children and Victoria, but now, it was impossible to think of anyone but Phyllis in his home with his children. She loved them, just as she loved him and, in a streak of luck uncommon to him, they seemed to love her and accept that she was a part of his and their life now.

Life was good and if he had anything to say about it, it would stay that way.


	2. Chapter 2

"Good morning, gorgeous." Billy loomed over Phyllis' still sleeping body as he planted a soft kiss on her shoulder. He smiled as she stirred slightly and her eyes finally opened.

"Morning," she managed as she brought her hand to her face and carefully brushed her hair away from her face. She breathed in deeply, trying to focus on the numbers on the clock across the room. It seemed like just minutes ago that she'd crawled under the covers and closed her eyes. How was it possible that it was already the next morning? "What time is it?" she whispered.

"Almost 8," he breathed, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "I hated to wake you up, but the kids were getting antsy about breakfast. You still up to going out?"

"Yeah." She forced herself to sit up, surprised by the fact that she felt no more rested than she had when she went to bed the night before. "Just give me a few minutes to get dressed."

"You need some help with that?" Billy's eyes danced as he let his hands run down her body and underneath the sheets.

She couldn't help but smile as she gently clasped his wrists and pulled his hands back up to his chest. "I think you should go back into the living room and check on the kids so I can focus on getting my clothes on." She pressed a quick kiss to his lips. "Somehow you always seem to be more help when it comes to getting my clothes off."

Billy shrugged. "I know my strengths…what can I say?" He smiled as he pulled her closer to him. "I told the kids that we could go see a movie after breakfast. I hope that's okay. You didn't have any plans today, did you?"

"If I did, I'd break them." She closed her eyes as she felt his arms wrap around her. "There's nothing that sound better than spending the whole day with you and the kids."

* * *

"Hey, Johnny.." Billy gently swatted his hand as he reached across to pilfer food off Phyllis' plate. "We can get you your own pancakes."

"I don't want any," he smiled as he wiped a bit of syrup off his face with the back of his hand.

"You've eaten almost all of Phyllis'," Billy smiled. "What's she supposed to eat?"

"It's fine," Phyllis smiled as she reached over and passed Johnny a napkin. "It leaves me plenty of room for popcorn and candy at the movies." Honestly, she didn't mind that Johnny helped her clean her plate. There was nothing appealing to her on the menu and she'd actually only ordered pancakes to appease Billy, knowing that he'd worry if she'd admitted she wasn't hungry. "Here." She slid the plate over to Johnny.

Billy nodded at him as he happily dug in. He reached over towards her and took her hand, the cool touch of her skin startling him a bit. "You cold?" He reached for his jacket, offering it to her. "Your hands are like ice."

"No." She gripped her hands together, realizing for the first time that they were cool to the touch. "I'm not cold. I guess my hands are just cold…." She laughed softly as Billy took her hands in his hand rubbed them softly.

"What?"

"It's just you…you're always taking care of me."

"Of course I am. I can't have my lady sitting here with cold hands, now can I?" He brought her hands to his lips and kissed them softly. His eyes fell on the face of his watch. "We better get going if we want to make that movie. You ready to head out?"

She nodded reaching for his hand as he stood and helped her to her feet. "I'll take care of the check," he said as he headed towards the counter.

* * *

"Phyllis?" The sound of her name sounded very far away, almost as if she were caught in the middle of a dream she couldn't quite wake up from. The sound got louder as she felt her body being moved slightly and she finally forced her eyes to open, surprised by the sight of Katie's face only inches from hers. She jumped in surprise.

"Sorry," Billy laughed, "But nap time's over."

It took a minute for her to get her bearings but, as she began to take in her surroundings, she remembered arriving at the movie theater. She'd seen the previews and the beginning of the animated film, but that was the last thing she remembered. "I missed the movie?" she breathed. She looked down at Katie with apologetic eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"It's okay," Katie whispered. "We can buy the DVD when it comes out and we can watch it then."

"She's an easy sell," Phyllis said quietly as she glanced over at Billy. "Sorry I messed this up again. I feel like I keep ruining these chances to spend time with the kids."

"It's no big deal. Believe me, I wish I could have slept through this thing. I was too busy trying to keep Johnny from throwing popcorn at the screen."

"I take it he wasn't a fan?" She looked over at Johnny. "You didn't like the movie, Johnny?"

"There weren't any superheroes in it," he huffed, "It was a girl movie."

Phyllis smiled as she looked over at Billy. "Well, it looks like we'll have to let you pick the movie next time." She moved to stand, surprised when the entire room seemed to spin a bit as she attempted to push her body upright.

"You okay?" Billy's hand gripped her arm gently as his eyes fell on hers.

She could see the concern cover his face almost immediately. "Yeah. I'm fine. I was just sitting in the same position for so long. I think my feet fell asleep. I'm fine now." And she was. Once she stood for a moment, the dizziness completely faded away and, as she let him help her with her coat, she felt fine for a moment. With a shake of her head she pushed the slight worry from her mind. Everything was fine. It had to be. Life was far too good for anything to go wrong.


	3. Chapter 3

"You sure I can't convince you to stay home today?" Billy wrapped his arms around her and pulled her towards him as he nuzzled in against her neck.

Phyllis smiled as she twisted the lid of her travel coffee mug. "As much as I'd love to crawl back into bed with you, I can't. I have a big meeting with Lauren and Jack today about some Fenmore marketing stuff. I've got to get to the office, so I can go over the presentation and make sure I've got all the numbers ready. Besides, don't you have a job to get now, Mr. Abbott?"

Billy leaned his head back in mock frustration. "Yes," he sighed. "I guess I should be getting to my own office even though I'm pretty sure we could be a lot more productive right here."

"I'm sure you're right, but I really can't today." She reached down to finish off the cup of coffee that sat beside her travel mug. It was her third cup of the morning and she finally felt as if she had enough steam to carry herself through her first meeting. She smiled as she felt Billy's warm lips trailing down her neck. "Which means, you have to stop that," she breathed.

"Alright," he whined. "Will you at least let me give you a ride to the office, that way I can keep you close for a little while longer?"

"I won't turn down a ride," she grinned, "Especially one from such a sexy driver."

* * *

Phyllis stared at the computer screen. She stood quickly and rushed across the room to grab the latest print outs form the printer. The clock on the wall told the whole story. The meeting was fast approaching, and she had virtually no time to prepare. Jack was sure to make this a contentious meeting and she wanted to be as prepared as possible, but time was one thing she couldn't create. She'd only been at the office for a little over an hour, but she felt as if she'd been working an entire day. Mental exhaustion was real, she thought to herself as she grabbed the final files from her desk.

She looked up just in time to see Jack's face quickly pass her door. The sound of his halted footsteps made her heart drop and she waited to see him appear in her doorway again. "Did you need something?" she asked, trying not to sound annoyed. It wasn't Jack's fault that that she was short on time and patience this morning, but she wasn't really in the mood to bolster his spirits or make him feel better about his never ending war with Ashley.

"No. I just thought we could head into the meeting together." Jack smiled gently at her as he studied her expression. "Figured there was strength in numbers around here right now." He waited on her typical smart ass response, but grew slightly more serious when she didn't say anything at all in return. "Everything okay?"

Phyllis looked up at him. "Why wouldn't it be?" she breathed. "Everything's fine. I just have a lot to prepare for with this meeting and I figured you'd already be down there preparing your attack strategy."

"What makes you think I'm going to be against you on this? I want you and Lauren to be happy about the marketing strategy. I'm not going to try to tie your hands with this."

"Really?" She stared at him incredulously. "That sounds suspiciously easy. You honestly expect me to believe that you're going to back Lauren and me on this? You're not going to make trouble?"

"You backed me in the board meeting…both of you did, so I'm returning the favor. So, unless you're planning on skipping the meeting, I'll ask you again, you want to head up together?"

Phyllis sighed. "Alright," she nodded. "I guess so." She walked beside him hesitantly as they stood by the elevator. She glanced down at the numbers on her cell phone. "We're gonna be late," she hissed.

"This elevator is always so slow," Jack grumbled. "If you weren't beside me, I'd think…" He stopped himself from saying the rest of his sentence, realizing that as much progress as they'd made, they weren't at that point in their relationship yet. "Why don't we just take the stairs?"

"Okay." Phyllis glanced at the three flights of steps which, under normal circumstances, wouldn't have even given her pause. Today it seemed like a steep mountain, the precipice of which was almost impossible to reach. She gripped the railing and took the first step, surprised by how quickly she became winded.

"I looked at the Powerpoint you sent over last night. You and Lauren actually have some excellent ideas. I'd actually be in favor of them even if I wasn't feeling obligated to repay a favor." Jack looked in her direction, expecting to hear more disbelief, but instead hearing silence. "Phyllis?"

"Yeah." Her breathing was labored and she tried to cover the sheer exhaustion the stairs had caused. "I uh…I wanted to try and cover the high points in the presentation, but…" She paused to try and collect her breath again, stopping for a moment at the landing and gripping the railing. "I'll go into the points more in depth when we're actually in the meeting. I figured…" She swallowed hard, trying to keep her chest from heaving. Her ribs burned from the deprivation of oxygen and she felt as if all the moisture was draining from her body. "I thought Ashley might …" She stopped, finally giving in to the need for silence.

"Hey." Jack's hand rested on her shoulder. "What's the matter? You okay?"

The question was one she didn't even have time to consider. "Of course I am," she sighed. "I've just been so busy that I haven't had time to go to the gym and I've just got so out of shape lately. I didn't realize it had gotten this bad though." She forced a smile as she looked up at him. "It's pretty bad when three flights of stairs does you in, huh?" She could see his eyes were still filled with concern. "Seriously, Jack. I'm fine. I just need to get back in my routine and we need to get to this meeting before Ashley stages another coup."

Jack studied her for another moment, finally letting his hand fall away from her shoulder. "If you're sure you're okay?"

She moved ahead of him, propelling her body forward. "I'm fine," she said succinctly. "Let's go." This was certainly not the time to rest. There were things to do and places to go. Rest would wait. Work would not.


	4. Chapter 4

"Jack?" Lauren said his name again after receiving no response. "Jack, Are you listening to me?"

"Of course I am. I was just thinking about your comments. I uh.." He stopped, trying to remember the last words he'd heard her say. His attention had been sporadic at best. Though he believed he'd managed to comprehend the overall tone of the meeting, his eyes and concern had been focused on Phyllis and, more specifically, on the still labored breathing she presented with. Her chest continued to rise and fall with alarming frequency. "I was just waiting to hear Phyllis' thoughts on the new campaign."

Phyllis stared at him for a moment, knowing all too well what he was doing. "I sent the…" She swallowed hard, the tightness in her chest becoming slightly concerning now. The flu going around and she'd certainly been working a lot. Maybe her resistance was down and she'd managed to pick it up. This could be how it starts. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been sick, so it wasn't as if she could be annoyed.

She forced another breath into her lungs. "You have the Powerpoint, Jack."

"Is it too much trouble for you to go over the high points again?" Ashley snapped from the other side of the table. "I didn't realize your time was that precious."

"Well now you know." She managed a sharp, snappy comment as she glared at her.

"If you look over the Powerpoint, you'll find all the answers…to your…questions." She saw the confused look on Lauren's face and forced a smile.

Lauren nodded. "If you have any questions after reviewing Phyllis' work, you can e-mail either of us and we'll get back to you asap. If there's nothing else, I think we're done here." Lauren stood and quickly gathered her files. She shot a slightly annoyed look over at Phyllis before leaving.

Phyllis placed her on the table. "If you'll excuse me for a moment." She stood and walked quickly from the room, her eyes searching the hallway for Lauren. It didn't take much to realize her lack of involvement in the conversation had annoyed her and she had a lot of explaining to do. Right now though, she didn't feel like explaining anything to anyone as she stopped and stood just outside the door to lean against the wall. She let her hand rest against her chest for a moment, feeling the quick racing of her heart.

"Phyllis?"

She jumped as the voice seemed very close to her. "Jack, I can't deal with this right now. If you want to talk about the stuff in the meetings, we'll set up a time with Lauren later, okay?"

"This isn't about Lauren and you know it. This is about you and whatever is going on with you. Now, something isn't right." He gestured to her hand which still lay clasped against her chest. "Come and sit down."

"Jack." She jerked her hand away from him. "I'm fine. I told you that." She quick motion made her head spin and she was forced to use his arm to steady herself.

He didn't miss the slight sway of her body and he allowed her to lean against the wall as he sighed heavily. "Look, I'm not trying to insinuate myself in your life. I'm honestly worried about you here."

"I'm not yours to worry about, Jack. My life and your life do not overlap anymore. We are business associates and I thought we could be friends, but friends do not berate each other." The fury seemed to fuel her somehow and the adrenaline that pumped through her body gave her a surge of energy that allowed her to yell with a renewed strength.

"Everything okay out here?" Ashley stepped into the hallway. "I can here you all the way in the conference room."

"Everything's fine," Phyllis snapped. "I'm just reminding your brother that I'm no longer his problem. He doesn't need to worry about me."

"Why would he be worrying about you? I thought you and Billy were doing well."

"We are. It's nothing like that." Phyllis sighed. "Jack has this idea that I'm near death or something because I got a little winded coming up the stairs and I'm telling you just like I told him…I haven't had time to go to the gym and I've let myself go a little. That's all it is."

"If I honestly thought that was all it is, I'd let it go. I swear I would, but Phyllis, you were in there and you could hardly…"

"Jack," Ashley shook her head in disgust. "Didn't you hear her? She said she's fine. If she said she's fine, she's fine. Leave her alone. Besides, I don't know that our brother would be particularly appreciative of your newfound interest in your ex-wife."

"Damn it, that's not…"

Phyllis looked at him with pleading eyes and he leaned back a bit.

"You know what," Jack sighed, "Fine. It's your life."

She watched as he stomped he away and closed his office door. Slowly she turned around to face Ashley, the tightness in her chest returning again, "As much as I appreciate your support, I have to ask…what was that all about?"

"What?"

"You know what." Phyllis scoffed as she walked over to the small chair in the hallway corridor. She sat down and crossed her legs, thankful to have a place to sit. She didn't want to worry about this, but she had to admit it was slightly concerning to feel this drained after so little exertion.

"I was just trying to help you out with my brother. I know first hand that he can be like a dog with a bone and I just thought maybe…"

"You just thought maybe if you took my side with this, I might be willing to take your side with something else, like maybe a board of director's decision?" She watched as Ashley's face changed. "Well, I hate to tell you that you wasted your time. I can't be bought."

Phyllis stood, the whooshing sound of the blood rushing to her head almost deafening as she attempted to straighten. She couldn't allow any weakness to show, especially in front of Ashley. Powering through, she headed towards her office, stepped inside, closed the door, and laid her head down on her desk.


	5. Chapter 5

Billy stood in the lobby and checked his watch. He and Phyllis had never been slaves to the clock, but she typically kept their dates or, at the very least, she'd call him to let him know she was running late. Today, he'd heard nothing from her. With everything going on at Jabot and the never ending power struggle between Jack and Ashley, he knew Phyllis felt caught in the middle, but he hated thinking that she being worked so hard.

He walked over to the elevator, sighing heavily as he stepped inside and pushed the button to get to the Jabot office floors. If Phyllis wouldn't come to meet him, he'd go drag her out of the office himself. The elevator door slid open and he caught a glance of Ashley as she rushed back into her office. He passed Phyllis' closed office door and headed towards Ashley.

"Hey Ash. Everything okay?" The question was a mere formality, her posture and facial expression telling him everything he needed to know about her mood and how her day had gone. There had been a meeting today and seeing her now, he could only imagine how it had gone. Maybe this was why Phyllis was holed up in her office and not down in the lobby meeting him for their planned romantic dinner.

"You want the short version, or the long version?" Ashley snapped, cutting her eyes at him before sitting behind her desk and slamming the stack of files in front of her.

"Go with the shortest possible version of the truth," he smiled. "I've got plans with Phyllis if I can track her down."

"Oh, Phyllis. I imagine she's plenty irritated after that meeting as well. Jack was in rare form, trying to insinuate himself into everyone's business."

Billy leaned back a bit, trying to make sense of her particular snide remark. "What does that mean? What did Jack do now?"

"What does he always do? He thinks his opinion is the only opinion worth considering. He thinks his thoughts are the only thoughts worth having and he thinks he's the only one that knows what's best for everybody else. He's doing it with the Fenmore marketing campaign. He's trying to micromanage everything with Jabot and, as I'm sure Phyllis will fill you in on, he's even trying to insinuate himself into her life now too."

The final comment was of particular interest. "Into Phyllis' life? Well, I mean they are friends and they'll always have a relationship. They were married and they'll always care about each other. I know that. I accept that."

"Well, then you're taking it better than she did, but then you can talk to her about all of this, I guess. Personally, I'd be happy not to have to say or hear the name Jack Abbot again today."

"Hang on though…" Billy stepped in front of her as she stood and moved towards the door. "Just tell me what went on between Phyllis and Jack. What did he do?"

Ashley smiled smugly. "I thought you accepted that they had a relationship and that they cared about each other?"

"Just answer the question, Ash."

"Apparently, Jack is convinced that Phyllis is working herself too hard. She was out of breath when she came into the meeting today. She said she hadn't been going to gym as much as she should and that taking the stairs wore her out but Jack, being the over bearing ass that you and I know he can be … He wouldn't take that for an answer. He just kept insisting that there was more to it and he finally irritated her to the point that she up and left the meeting before it was over."

"Phyllis left the meeting before it was over?" That was entirely unlike her. Even on her worst days, when she was in the midst of the ugliness post affair, she'd never allowed Jack to run her out of the office. He couldn't imagine what must have happened to finally push her to that point. He looked back up at Ashley, the satisfied look on her face only slightly less annoying that Jack's behavior. "You know, you're probably right. I should just talk about this with Phyllis."

Billy took a step towards his sister and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "I hope your day gets better." He flashed her a quick smile before exiting the office and walking quickly towards Phyllis' still closed office door. He knocked quickly, waiting for the expected rushed opening and onslaught of apologies for being late. After a few moments of hearing no movement and getting no reply, he slowly pulled open the office door.

Phyllis lay with her head on the desk, her face resting on her arm as her back rose and fell in a slow rhythm.

"Phyllis?" Billy's hand was warm on her back as he watched her eyes flutter open. He could see the realization rush over her as she glanced around the room.

"Billy." She drew in a sharp intake of breath as she quickly stood to her feet and grabbed the side of her desk for balance. "I'm so sorry," she breathed. "I must have fallen asleep and lost track of time." She glanced down at the clock on the computer. "Our dinner. Did we miss the reservations?"

His fingertips brushed over her lips lightly as his other hand gently brushed the hair from her face. "It's fine," he sighed. "Don't worry about the reservations. I'm not. What are you doing sleeping on your desk? That's not like you." He couldn't help but think about what Ashley had said. Could there be some validity to Jack's concerns. Should he be worried?

"It's crazy. I didn't sleep much last night. I was up late trying to get this powerpoint ready and then I got up early this morning to go over my notes. I just haven't been getting enough sleep. That's all." She looked up at him with a soft smile. "Thank you for being concerned, really, but you don't need to worry. Honest. I'm fine. The only thing I need is a good meal and a good night's sleep…preferably in the nice warm, strong arms of the man that I love."

Billy smiled as he pulled her in closer to him for a moment. His lips brushed against her forehead. "I think I can handle that," he sighed.

"Good. Just let me run to the ladies room and splash some water on my face and I'll be ready to head out, okay?"

He watched as she rushed from the room. She seemed fine, certainly not someone that was on the verge of a physical demise. There was total truth in what she said. She'd been working long hours, getting little sleep, and burning the candle at both ends. That would take its toil on anyone. The last thing she needed was Jack berating her and, if he had anything to say about it, today would be the last time she had to deal with that. He glanced towards the door before heading out and turning towards Jack's office.


	6. Chapter 6

"Jack?" Billy stood just outside the office as he watched his brother look up slowly from the screen of his laptop.

"Billy." The surprise was evident in his voice and he stood and walked around his desk quickly. "It's kind of late for you to be dropping by the office for a visit isn't it?"

"I'm just waiting for Phyllis. I have to drag her out of here most nights you know. She works too much." He saw the look on Jack's face at the simple mention of her name and he knew it wouldn't take much to set him off. "I understand there was some kind of issue with the two of you today at the board meeting."

Jack sighed heavily. "I know Phyllis was annoyed with me, but I wasn't trying to meddle. I was acting out of concern for her. That's all, so whatever she said, I can promise you, it wasn't like that."

"Actually, Phyllis hasn't said a thing. It was Ashley."

"Of course it was Ashley. She's chomping at the bit to do anything she can to undermine me. She'd even take Phyllis' side against me even when it's clear that she needed someone to talk some sense into her."

"Phyllis doesn't need you to tell her what to think or how to act, Jack. If you recall, that didn't work out so well for you the first go round." Billy leaned against the doorframe, biting the inside of his lip hard as he heard the words slip from his mouth. He'd intended to come here and simply be upfront with his brother, to tell him in honestly and clearly that Phyllis was fine and that she didn't his concerns, but instead, all the frustration and annoyance seemed to come back. Jack could be so damn self-righteous. He thought he knew better than everyone and sometimes he just wanted to haul off and knock him off his pedestal.

"Let's not do this." Jack moved back toward his desk, not wanting to test the shaky footing of their newly-formed truce. "I get it. You don't want me talking to Phyllis about her health."

"I'd prefer it if you weren't talking to Phyllis at all," he spat, "but in this case, there's actually nothing for you to be concerned about. Phyllis is absolutely fine."

"And you know that how?" Jack shook his head as he looked at him incredulously. It had taken him a long time to accept the relationship between his brother and his ex-wife. He believed they loved each other, but Billy would never know Phyllis the way he did. "Because she told you?"

Billy let the breath leave his lips in a short spurt of frustration. "Because she hasn't told me anything and she would. If there was something wrong…if she needed help, if she was worried about something, she'd tell me. We don't keep things like that from each other. We don't have that kind of relationship. She knows she can come to me with anything and she knows I'll be there for her."

"You don't know her at all, do you? Phyllis hates to feel weak. She hates to feel like she can't take care of herself and the last thing she'll ever do is tell you that she's vulnerable. She'll work herself to her last breath before she tells you she's tired and she'll never, ever admit that she needs help."

"That may have been the way it was with you, Jack, but it's different for us. She's different with me. She can be who she really is with me. She's not working to be somebody she's not. She's not twisting herself into these crazy positions trying to become the person she thinks I want her to be. She knows she's exactly who I need right now."

Jack scoffed. "If that's what you need to tell yourself, you go ahead. I just hope Phyllis is okay because I truly don't want to see anything bad happen to her."

"Why don't you let me worry about Phyllis and you can focus on your own life? Isn't that why you supposedly walked away from the CEO position in the first place? Dina needs your attention and focus. She's sick. Go tend to her and stop berating a woman who's perfectly fine and who's only issue at the moment is being overworked because she's having to clean up the mess made by a distracted and disgruntled executive."

"You know, Billy…you've always been selfish. You've never been able to see past your own wants and needs, but I really thought you might have turned a corner this time. I truly believed that you had learned to put someone else above your own selfish needs, but your coming in here tonight and throwing a tantrum like a petulant child just proves that you haven't changed at all. You'll always be that selfish, reckless little boy in a man's body. It's just a shame Phyllis hasn't seen that yet."

"Did I hear my name?"

Billy turned around as he heard Phyllis' hesitant voice behind him. He let his hand fall behind her as his hand pressed against the small of her back. "Sorry," he whispered, pulling her a bit closer towards him. "I was just stopping by to see if Jack could take it a little easier on you. Burning the midnight oil all the time will get to anybody." He smiled as he pressed his lips against her forehead.

"It's not all Jack's fault," she said quickly, pulling back a bit from his embrace. Even though Jack claimed to be okay with the relationship, it still felt odd to be so affectionate in front of him. "I've been swamped with Fenmore's stuff too."

"Ah," Billy smiled as he ran his hand through her silky hair. "Guess my next conversation needs to be with Lauren."

"No." Her soft laugh seemed to fill the room as she gently tugged at his hand. "Your next conversation needs to be with me over dinner, remember?" Phyllis widened her eyes as she looked at him. "Can we get out of here?"

"Sure we can." Billy glanced back at Jack. "See you later."

Jack forced a polite smile as he waited for Phyllis and Billy to disappear down the hallway. He walked back behind the desk and allowed his body to slink down into the chair. In a way, he wished it had been jealousy that had compelled him to berate Phyllis this morning, but it had been nothing of the sort. What he'd seen from her today had been clear. Phyllis wasn't okay and nothing Billy or anyone else said would convince him otherwise.


	7. Chapter 7

"So," Phyllis smiled as leaned back in her chair and smoothed the napkin across her lap, "When are you planning on telling me what you and Jack were really talking about when I walked in?"

"What do you mean what we were really talking about. I told you, I was just telling Jack that he needed to stop depending on you so much. I worry about you." He smiled softly at her.

"You don't need to worry about me," she sighed. "I'm fine and I can handle Jack."

Looking at her now, it was hard to believe he'd ever given Ashley's words a second thought. She looked perfectly gorgeous, far from a medical crisis in waiting. Her eyes sparkled just as they always did when she looked at him, but there was something about his brother's adamant refusal to accept defeat that disturbed him a bit. Jack was definitely a right fighter and he wouldn't put it past him to argue about Phyllis simply for the sake of getting to him, but tonight didn't seem like that. He knew his brother and the look on his face tonight wasn't about petty jealously. It was about being right. It wasn't even about superiority or being the big brother that always looked for a way to make him inadequate. Tonight, Jack was worried, honestly, genuinely worried.

He took a deep breath before saying the words. "So, he hasn't been bothering you? About work…or anything else?"

His words gave her pause for a moment. Why would he ask her a question like this unless…Did he know what had gone on at the meeting and if he did, why wouldn't he just tell her or, better yet, why not just ask her about it? Why beat around the bush? "I told you," she said, trying not to snap, "Jack and I are fine and you and I are fine too…for now."

Billy smiled. "Is that your way of telling me to drop this?"

"That's my way of telling you there are lots of better ways to spend our evening and if you're busy spending time talking about your brother, maybe we can get the check and head on home." She let her lips curve into a seductive smile.

"Well, if that's an option." His eyes flashed at her as he stood from the table and leaned in to kiss her cheek. "Let me go find out waiter." Billy walked quickly from the table.

Phyllis watched him with a smile as he walked away, waiting until he was out of view before she took a small sip of water. Slowly she massaged her fingertips across her temple, the beginning of a headache slowly beginning to set in. It was moments like this, she wished she carried aspirin in her bag. Billy's warm embrace startled her and she jumped as he wrapped his arms around her and leaned in close to her ear.

"You ready to get out of here?"

"Yeah," she whispered as she let him help her with her chair and stood to her feet. She turned into his arms and looked up into his eyes. Being with him tonight would be the best medicine she could ever hope for.

* * *

"I guess you're pretty proud of yourself." Jack stood in the doorway of Ashley's office and waited for her to acknowledge his presence.

"Do you make a habit of just walking into someone's office without knocking?" Ashley glanced up at him, the snide tone of her voice echoing throughout the room.

"I do when the office is rightfully mine and when something is this important." Jack closed the door behind him before sitting down on the leather sofa. "I want to know why you felt it necessary to tell Billy what went on in the meeting today?"

"I didn't realize that we weren't sharing board meeting minutes with members of the board. Billy couldn't be there today because of a scheduling conflict with Chancellor. I was just filling him in on what happened."

Jack sighed. "the hell you were. You were trying to make trouble with Billy and Phyllis and, by extension, between Billy and me."

"Jack," Ashley began, "I'm really a bit too busy to concern myself with the complicated goings on of your personal life and…"

"Save it." Jack glared at her. "Look. You don't like Phyllis and that's fine, but I'd like to believe that you're a decent enough person that you'd rather not see her end up in a situation where she's honestly going to be hurt and I'm telling you now, something isn't right here. You going and getting Billy all riled up and somehow convincing him that I'm meddling in Phyllis' life doesn't do anything except convince him that I'm the enemy. Now, instead of him being concerned about Phyllis, the way he needs to be, the way he should be, he's too busy putting me on notice."

"If your brother doesn't trust you, that's not on me. That's on you, Jackie. For whatever reason, he seems to believe that family isn't all that important to you. I don't know where he'd ever get an idea like that."

"I don't know, Ash." Jack shook his head as he stared at her, no longer even recognizing the woman in front of him. "Maybe he got me confused with you."

* * *

Billy smiled as she stepped out of the bathroom. "Hey beautiful," he smiled. "I was wondering what was keeping you so long in there, but I have to admit, it was worth the wait."

She smiled as she slid into bed and felt his arms wrap around her. It had taken a bit longer than normal to get into fighting form tonight. The short, navy slip was one of Billy's favorites, but the dark color seemed to accentuate the dark circles under her eyes and she found herself spending more than a few moments applying concealer in front of the mirror. The last thing she wanted tonight was to field more questions about her health. Tonight she didn't want to have to convince Billy that she was okay. She just wanted to be okay. As long as she was with him, as long as they were together, everything was good.


	8. Chapter 8

There were times he still had to stop and pinch himself. He'd be walking down the hallway and catch his reflection in a mirror or an elevator door and he'd see the smile on his face, a smile that a few years ago seemed like an impossible feat. His life had changed so much so fast. His children had already brought him joy, but now it was more than that. He still had his children of course, but he now had something more. He now had a woman in his life that accepted him for who he was, with all his flaws.

To have found that kind of love would be miracle enough, but this woman also loved his children. Phyllis wasn't the Susie Homemaker type and she made no claims otherwise. What she lacked in domestic skill however, she more than made up for in passion. She loved deeply, protected fiercely, and surprised him each and every day. The end of the day always excited him because he knew he'd be coming home to her.

Today she'd picked up the kids, taken them to the park and picked up dinner for them all of them. He could hardly wait to get home to spend a nice evening at home with the three most important people in his world. He stood just outside the door, fully expecting to hear the sounds of his children's laughter, but instead being met with silence. The key slid into the door easily as he stepped inside.

The living room seemed empty with no sign of Johnny, Katie, or Phyllis. "Johnny?" Billy's voice rang out through the empty room. Almost immediately he heard the tell tale sounds of little feet hurriedly moving down the steps. Katie jumped into his arms eagerly, wrapping her tiny arms around his neck in a tight embrace.

"Hi Daddy," she grinned.

Billy pulled her in tight against his chest and placed a quick kiss on her cheek before reaching down and patting Johnny's head. "Hey guys," he said softly. His eyes looked up towards the stairs, fully expecting to see Phyllis appearing. "Where's Phyllis? Are you all watching a movie upstairs?"

Johnny shook his head. "She had a headache," he said quietly, his own forehead crinkling a little as he spoke. "She went and laid down on the bed after we got home and she let us eat on the floor while we watched tv in the bedroom."

"We were real quiet too," Katie said proudly. "Cause we knew she didn't feel good and we didn't want her head to hurt more."

"I'm sure you were." Billy moved towards the stairs, anxious to get up and check on her. She'd been a bit out of sorts lately and he couldn't help but wonder if the extra hours and stress at work were simply becoming far too much for her to handle. His life had changed a lot recently, but he had to remember that hers had changed as well and while she was dealing with stress at work, she was also now inheriting two small children. He knew she loved Johnny and Katie, but he also knew from experience that they could be quite the handful. "Is she sleeping?" He looked over at Johnny as he asked the question, expecting the little boy to be more perceptive than his younger sister.

Johnny nodded. "Yeah and she must be really tired cause I couldn't even get her to wake up to change the tv so we could watch Netflix."

Billy felt his heart begin to beat faster. He gestured to the tv in the living room. "Here," he said as he handed the remote to Johnny. "You know how to do this one, right? It's just like the one at Mom's." He hesitated just long enough for Johnny to move over to the sofa and settle down beside his sister before his feet began to climb the stairs. There was no reason for him to expect the worst, but for somehow he did. He knew there was something very wrong and his instincts, especially when it came to Phyllis, were almost always right.

* * *

"Phyllis! Phyllis! I need you to open your eyes for me. Come on, sweetie. Open your eyes for me, please!" Billy felt his entire body give way as he finally saw her eyes flutter and open. "Thank God," he signed as he let his head rest against her shoulder for a moment. "Look at me," he sighed, cupping her face in his hands. "You hear me?"

She blinked slowly, taking a moment to remember where she was and how she'd gotten there. "Billy? What's the matter?"

"Forget about me." His ran his hands down her arms as he gripped her ice cold hands in his. "What happened here?"

"I just had a headache, so I had the kids eat dinner in here while they …" Her voice trailed off. "Are the kids okay?" She moved quickly to sit up, her eyes searching the room for them as she felt her head begin to swim as the sound of her heart beat began to echo in her head and ears.

"They're fine. They're downstairs watching Netflix. Don't worry about them right now. I'm worried about you." He studied her intently. She was pale and her skin felt like ice. He hadn't missed the expression on her face when she'd tried to sit up, the way her eyes had moved back and forth so quickly, a clear indication that she was, yet again, dizzy.

"You don't need to be. I'm fine. It was just a headache and I guess I just feel asleep. It's the fact that you've got such good kids. You've got to blame them for being so well behaved and quiet." She tried to laugh and ease the tension as she looked at him, but he wasn't laughing. "What's the matter?" She reached up and touched his face, feeling his hand touch hers and squeeze it slightly.

"You really don't know, do you?"

"Know what? Why you're acting so weird? No. I don't."

"I've been up here trying to get you to wake up for almost five minutes now. It's like you were trying to wake up, but you couldn't. I was about thirty seconds away from calling an ambulance and if you don't agree to let me call Vic and let her pick up the kids so we can go get you checked out tonight, I'll be calling that ambulance anyway."


	9. Chapter 9

He rushed up the stairs, anxious to see her after she hadn't answered when he'd called her name. "Phyllis!" He yelled out again as he stepped into the bedroom.

She stepped out of the bathroom as she ran the brush slowly through her hair. "You didn't tell Victoria what was going on did you?"

Billy sighed in exasperation. "I thought you were gonna wait until I got back up here to get ready? I asked you to wait for me."

"I'm fine, Billy. I don't need a babysitter. I don't need help getting dressed. For the love of God, I'm a grown woman!" She saw the flash of hurt in his eyes and she immediately regretted the venom in her voice. "I'm sorry," she whispered, reaching up to touch his hand. "I shouldn't have … I didn't mean to …"

"It's okay." He kissed her hand softly and he held it to his chest. "I get it. I do. And I know how much you hate to need someone. I know how independent you are and how much it means to you to be able to take care of yourself, but sometimes it's okay for you let somebody in, for you to let somebody take care of you … especially in times like this, when you need someone, when you need help." He stopped for a moment, studying her face to see if his words made an impact. Her fingers still laced in his as he slowly walked her over to the side of the bed and sat down beside her. "And no," he said softly, "To answer your question, I didn't tell Victoria what was going on. I just told her something came up and we needed her to come and get the kids. I told her we'd take them another night this week. She didn't ask any questions."

"I'm sure she's wondering what's going on. She's probably conjuring up all kinds of scenarios in her head."

"She's not. I'm sure she just thinks we had another commitment or some work thing or something. She didn't act weird at all when she picked them up."

"How were they? Were they upset? Did I scare them?"

He touched her face gently, touched that she'd be thinking of their feelings right now when she had every reason to be absorbed with her own feelings. "No. They didn't even realize anything was wrong. Johnny just thought you were asleep." He saw her deep sigh of relief.

"Things could have turned out so differently."

"They didn't though. You're fine and we're gonna figure out what's going on. We're gonna go and get you checked out and that'll be it." He said the words with as much confidence as he could muster. With everything in him, he hoped he wasn't telling her anything other than the truth. "You believe that, don't you?"

Phyllis let body rest against his for a moment. She could feel his arm snake around the small of her back and she wished for nothing more than to stay in this moment, to let him hold onto her and forget that everything around them existed. "I want to," she admitted. Hesitantly she looked up at him, her eyes betraying her honest emotions.

"You're scared."

She nodded. "I really thought it was just work and being so busy and not getting enough sleep or not eating right, but lately … I don't' know it's like …. I could sleep all night and I still wake up and feel like I haven't even been to bed. Walking across the room is an aerobic workout and I'm always so out of breath. I'm never hungry. I just … I feel horrible and I hate admitting that. I'm not that woman that complains and whines about stress and life and the grind of it all. I guess maybe it's just getting older, but …"

"Come on…" He ran his hand across her back. "You know that's not it. I'm sure it's something simple. Maybe it's a vitamin deficiency or something. Maybe you just need some supplements … maybe something's out of balance, or maybe the prescription is a long vacation with your handsome boyfriend."

She couldn't help but smile as she listened to his soft, soothing voice. "That would be nice. I certainly hope that's what they say."

"Well, that's what we'll expect then." He smiled at her as he leaned down and kissed her cheek.

"But what if that's not what it is … what if it's something worse than that?"

"Don't think like that. Listen, you've been fine until recently. These symptoms started what a few weeks ago? It's not like this has been going on for months and months unless …. You haven't been keeping it from me have you?"

"Well, no … not for that long." She stopped, feeling guilty for not having been more open with him. "There were a few times at work when I didn't feel well, but it's been recent … and it wasn't anything major. Just lightheaded, tired, not really feeling like eating anything …" Her words stopped as she saw the look pass over his face. "What? What's that look for?"

"I … I mean … I don't want to jump to conclusions, but it sounds like … Is it?" He smiled slightly as his eyes locked with hers. "Is it possible … could you be?"

She didn't follow his train of thought and looked confused until he looked down at her hands resting in her lap. "Pregnant?" Her brain buzzed to life as she said the words. "I … Well, I don't know for sure. It's too soon and …" Dates and times bounced around in her head as she looked at him. "It's certainly a possibility I guess and it would explain the fatigue and the dizziness and …"

"And the lack of appetite and the constant sleeping … It sounds right, don't you think?" He couldn't hide the smile that crept up across his face. It wasn't something they'd planned, but nothing would make him happier than to have a child with her. He loved Katie and Johnny, and Phyllis had invited them into their lives with no second thoughts, but there was something incredibly endearing about the thought of sharing the experience with her from start to finish. For a moment he was concerned as he watched her ponder his words. He couldn't read her expression, unable to determine if her silence and empty eyes were a result of worry or confusion.

"It does … It's almost exactly how I felt with Summer. I just hadn't even considered it. It wasn't even on my radar. I …" She raised her head then, looking up at him again. The smile on his face made her smile as well. "Is this what you want? I mean if we go and this is what they say, is this something you'd want?"

She was in his arms before he answered. "More than anything," he breathed. "More than I ever even realized."


	10. Chapter 10

She pulled the thin gown around her as she struggled to get comfortable against the hospital pillows. "I don't understand why they made me change into this and the bed … really? It's a bit overkill isn't it?"

Billy laughed softly as he took a seat on the side of the bed. "How about we bring it down a notch," he smiled. He placed his hand on her shoulder and massaged it gently. "You don't want to have your blood pressure through the roof from the beginning, do you?"

"I guess not. I just … they could save themselves a lot of time and a lot of insurance money if they just ran a couple of blood tests and let me wait in the waiting room with the normal people. They didn't need to waste a room and set me up this way like I'm on death's door."

"Nobody said that. They just wanna be cautious, that's all. You know how hospitals are especially in this sue happy world."

Phyllis sighed heavily. "I guess you're right, but you told them we think it's probably just pregnancy symptoms, didn't you?"

"I did, and they ran that test with a few others. Look at it this way, it can't hurt to get a bit of a check up … especially if you're pregnant. We want to know everything's good and you and the baby are healthy, don't we?" He leaned down and kissed her lips gently to stop any further protests. "That's the most important thing isn't it?"

"That's not fair. You're just trying to butter me up." She shivered a bit as the cool air seemed to cut right through the thin fabric of the hospital gown.

"You cold?" He pulled the scratchy hospital sheet up over her before pulling his legs up onto the bed and pulling her closer to him. Her hands were still disturbingly cold and he clasped them in his to try and warm them quickly. "That better?"

She nodded into his chest as she let her body relax. It was crazy to think she could almost fall asleep right here, but he had a way of putting her completely and totally at ease. Her eyes dropped closed and she probably would have drifted off in short order were it not for the sound of the door opening.

"Miss Summers?"

The sound of the voice startled her and she jerked upright quickly. Too quickly. The whooshing sound in her head returned again and she found her hand swiftly rushing to her forehead to try and stop the tremendous rush of blood. "I guess we never did get around to eating dinner, did we?" She looked over at Billy whose eyes were already filled with concern again. "I'm fine," she whispered, touching his hand softly. "And I'm sure the doctor is coming in here to tell us both that." She looked over towards the door. "That is what you came in here to tell us, right? Everything's fine?"

The young woman smiled at her. "I'm actually not a doctor. I'm a nurse here and I just wanted to come in and let you know that the doctor wants to admit you."

"What?!" Her eyes shot over to Billy immediately. "There must be some sort of mistake. I just came here to have a pregnancy test and they decided to run a few more tests which I was okay with because I thought they'd run the tests, I'd get the results, and then I'd go home, but …"

Billy's hand was on her back again. "Let's just wait … maybe there's a reason." He tried to quell the sick feeling in his stomach as he looked up at the nurse. "Did the doctor say why he was admitting her? Did the tests show something? Is there some kind of problem?"

"I don't know anything really. I just came to let you know that he was going to be admitting you and to tell you that he'll be in to talk to you as soon as he finishes with his evening rounds." She could see the worry on Billy's face. "I'll let him know that the two of you are waiting and that you're anxious for some answers, okay?"

"Thank you." Billy nodded at her with an understanding smile as she walked quickly from the room.

"This is complete crap," Phyllis spat as she slammed her hand down on the side of the bed. "I do not need to be in the hospital. There's nothing wrong with me. You were right before. It's just like when I was pregnant with Summer. I just wasn't even thinking about that as a possibility, but now that I think about it, it's all there … the sleeping, the lack of appetite, the dizziness … all of it and we've been sleeping together and I don't take any kind of birth control. I didn't think I needed it. They were so adamant that I'd never have another child that I …"

'Hey. Hey … Just relax. It's probably just a precaution. Maybe that's it. Maybe the pregnancy test came back positive and they want to keep you overnight until they can get a specialist to do some additional testing. This would probably be a high risk pregnancy … maybe it has something to do with that."

She let her breath out in a rushed sigh. "Maybe, but I still think we should have at least been asked before they just made the decision. I certainly don't want to be stuck here and I'm sure you have other things you need to be doing. With your Mom out of town and Cane and Lily on vacation, I know there's plenty of things at Chancellor that need your attention."

He shook his head. "The only thing that I'm focused on right now is you. You are the only thing that has my attention and you are the only thing that matters. Everything at Chancellor can wait. I'll be right here with you until we talk to this doctor and figure out exactly what it is that's going on and even then, when we get you home, I'm gonna wait on you hand and foot."

"I'm pregnant, Billy, not an invalid."

"Doesn't matter," he grinned, "No law says I can't wait on my lady, right?"

She couldn't help but relax and let her anger subside as she felt him slide in against her on the side of the bed. No matter what was happening around them, Billy was her constant and somehow everything else seemed to fade away as long as she was in his arms.


	11. Chapter 11

"Hey." He shook her gently, a bit surprised she had nodded off so quickly. "Sweetie … Phyllis?"

"Ummm…" She let her eyes open slowly, realizing suddenly where she was. "Billy? What's …" Her eyes opened wider as she saw the man standing at the end of the bed. "Oh …"

"You feel asleep," he whispered, as he helped her sit up slowly and let his arm wrap around her shoulder. "The doctor's here. He wants to talk to us."

She smiled, the fog finally lifting from her mind. "About the baby?" she whispered. Her eyes moved from Billy to the doctor. "Is everything okay with the baby?"

There was a brief silence in the room and she could feel the strange energy coursing through the air. "Billy?" She looked over towards him, needing answers now more than ever. "What's going on?"

"I don't know." It was an honest answer. He didn't know exactly what was going, but he knew, if only by the look on the doctor's face that he hadn't come in to share the routine news of a pregnancy. This was far more serious than that. "But that's what the doctor's here to tell us. He's gonna tell us what's going on." He reached over and took her hand, squeezing it lightly. "And it's gonna be fine … whatever it is, it's gonna be fine."

Phyllis swallowed hard, trying desperately not to cry. Her eyes now fell on the man at the end of the bed, a nameless doctor that she now knew held all the answers to her questions. "Is something wrong with the baby?"

"Miss Summers," he began.

"Phyllis," she interrupted. "You can call me Phyllis."

He nodded. "Phyllis … I'm afraid I need to speak with you alone." His eyes moved towards Billy, "If you don't mind …"

Her hand clenched tighter around his. "No," she said quickly. "He's my boyfriend. Billy can stay. Anything you have to say you can say in front of him. Please. It's fine."

"Alright." He made a quick note on the chart. "First of all, I see that we did run a pregnancy test and it came back negative."

The air left her body in a quick huff. "Negative? But …" She turned towards Billy, her eyes flashing an apologetic stare. "I was so sure you were …" Even though he'd never admit it, she could see a small flicker of disappointment in his eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I know you were …"

"No … No… Don't you do that. I just want to know that you're okay. That's all." He looked towards the doctor whose face still looked disturbingly sober. "Is she alright?"

"I don't like the fact that you paused when you were asked that question." She forced herself to joke now, too bothered by the overwhelming sense of dread that now filled the small room. "What am I dying or something?"

"I don't mean to alarm either of you and there are still a few more tests we need to run before I can give you any real specifics, but I want to discuss the results of some of the other tests we ran, specifically your EKG."

"EKG?" Billy swallowed hard, his heart racing at the mention of the word. "That's the heart, right? You think something's wrong with her heart?"

"I need to do some more extensive testing to get a more definitive diagnosis, but judging by everything I've seen so far an atrial septal defect is a very likely scenario."

"That's a really scary sounding name, but it's simple, right?" She tried to stop the shake in her voice, needing to hear the words out loud and hoping the doctor would alleviate her now very real fears.

She watched in silence as the doctor stepped closer to the bed and pulled a chair over to sit down. Her chest trembled a bit with the beginnings of a shaky breath and she felt Billy's arm tighten around her.

He'd been holding his breath the entire time, hoping against hope that his fears were completely irrational, that all of his worries about something being wrong with Phyllis had been the result of his horrible past and history of everything going to hell. He couldn't handle losing her, not now, not when everything in their life was finally going well.

"As I said, there are several more tests that need to be completed in order to get a handle on your specific situation, but based on what we know so far, you have evidence of pulmonary hypertension which is a precursor for much more serious complications with this condition. Atrial defects are very common in young children, but they can be far more serious in adults as they carry greater complications and can be harder to manage."

"What kind of complications?" He wasn't sure he wanted to hear the answer, but he couldn't live with not knowing. The fear in Phyllis' eyes nearly broke him. She was too alive, too vivid, too strong to look so feeble and broken. He would give anything to take her in his arms and take her away from her, to forget that any of this ever happened, but he couldn't.

"Without treatment?" The doctor paused. "Heart failure, Irregular heart beats, Increased risk of stroke, marked shortness in life span …" He took a breath as he saw the concerned look on the man's face. "I'm afraid the list goes on. That's why it's so important to get treatment as soon as possible."

"So what are the treatments?" Her voice still quivered a bit, but she felt somehow more empowered knowing there was something that could be done. "Is there medicine I can take?"

"In some situations medications are indicated, yes … In your situation, given your symptoms and your current levels, I think you may be past that point. I still want to do a few more tests to be sure of the severity of things, but in my professional opinion, you are a far better candidate for surgery."

"Surgery? You want to do surgery on her heart? You really think that's necessary?" This wasn't some little thing. People didn't just drop into the hospital for little surgeries on their hearts. He'd seen too many people come into the hospital and not come out again. Delia, Colleen, Juliette …

"It's up to you of course. It something the two of you would have to discuss and decide on, but if we don't take action, I can tell you the statistics aren't good. People with this type of condition that are already experiencing symptoms are considerably less likely to live past fifty years old."

Billy felt her quick gasp and he pulled her closer towards him, running his hand down her arm. "Okay," he whispered. "It's okay."

"I'm going to give the two of you a minute." The doctor stood. "I'm going to get those additional tests scheduled as soon as possible and I'd like to keep you here until we can get them lined up and ordered. I'll do everything I can to get them all lined up for tomorrow so we can get you out of here by tomorrow afternoon, alright?" He smiled warmly at the two of them as they both weakly nodded their heads. "We'll talk more about the options after we have all the information."

The strained silence settled over the room again as they both heard the sound of the door closing. He wasn't sure what to say as he looked down at her.

Her shaky voice was what finally broke through. "I was so damn stubborn," she managed.

"What?" He pushed the hair away from her face as his eyes searched hers. "What are you talking about?"

"You heard him, Billy. He said that this is worse the longer you wait for treatment. What if I'd come in as soon as I started feeling off, what if I hadn't waited until now … until you forced me? What if I'd listened to Jack when he tried to tell me that something was wrong? If I hadn't been so damn …"

"Stop." He wrapped his arms around her, not able to comprehend the fact that she was blaming herself for this. "I don't want to hear you talking like that right now. You didn't do this. You didn't cause this. You had no reason to think that anything like this was going on. I didn't either and when Jack talked to me about this, I told him the same thing. I said you were fine. I said you were just working too hard. If anyone is to blame here, it's me. I should have noticed something earlier. I should have insisted that you come get checked out."

"No. It's not your fault. It's not. I wouldn't have listened. Even if you'd tried to tell me, I would have said that it was nothing. I wouldn't have agreed that anything was wrong. You know me. You know how hardheaded I am. I wouldn't have let you tell me any different."

He smiled at her as he pressed his lips to hers, letting them linger there for a moment before pulling back and staring into her eyes. "Okay then. We're gonna use that. You're gonna be that stubborn, hard headed woman every step of the way. No matter what happens, you are going to be fine. We are going to be fine. And you're not going to let anyone tell you any different."


	12. Chapter 12

He peered into the bedroom, breathing a slight sigh of relief as he saw her eyes still closed. At least she seemed to be getting some sleep and, according to the doctor, that was the best they could do for her at the moment. Phyllis had insisted on being released while they waited for the results of her most recent tests. Hospitals made her feel sick, she insisted, sicker than she was and he couldn't force himself to argue with her.

He'd talked to the doctors. They'd told him about all the options, the medications, the surgeries, the risks, the consequences of doing nothing … all of it sounded terrifying, but he couldn't tell her that. He had to be the strong one, the brave one, the one that helped her believe that they'd be fine, that they'd get through this.

The sound of the soft knock on the door was a welcome distraction and he pulled it open as he saw his brother's face. "Hey Jack," he breathed.

"Billy." Jack stepped into the penthouse apartment. When he'd received the voicemail from Billy, he'd known something was wrong, but even in his worst imaginings, he hadn't expected this. The moment he'd arrived at the hospital however, the moment he'd seen his face, he'd known it was something horrible. The small part of him that wanted to be self righteous, the part of him that wanted to say 'I told you so', that wanted to remind him that he'd been right all along, it all went out the window when he saw just how much his brother was hurting. None of that mattered anymore.

"How's she doing?" He handed him his coat as his eyes moved around the room. There was no sign of Phyllis. She had a way of making her presence known, even when you didn't see her. You could smell her perfume in the air, hear her voice as she'd yell from upstairs, see the trail of clothing she often left when she arrived in a room, but in this room today, there was nothing.

Billy gestured upstairs. "She's resting. The doctor said that's good for now. She needs to rest until they get the rest of the results and then we'll need to decide what to do." He paused for a moment as he looked at his brother. "Thanks for coming by today. I just need to run out for a minute. I've got to go pick up some stuff from Chancellor so I can work from home for the next few weeks, but I didn't want to leave her alone. She's probably just gonna sleep though."

"It's fine. I'm sure it'll be fine." Jack nodded.

"And it goes without saying that if she wakes and finds you here …"

Jack smiled. "I stopped by on my own and offered to stay so you could run out for a bit. You absolutely _did not_ call and ask me to come by because you thought she needed a babysitter."

Billy couldn't help but laugh a bit at how easily he could be predicted. "Exactly."

* * *

Phyllis waited a moment, certain that the silence meant Billy had finally relented and gone back downstairs. She pulled the Ipad from under her pillow and pressed the screen again. Her eyes roamed the pages of words, each paragraph seemed to hold another potentially life threatening complication, each solution seemed to cause a myriad of additional problems.

The surgery, the one that was supposed to take care of the issue, came with risks that could end her life just as easily as the condition it was intended to correct. She heard the sound of footsteps again and quickly shoved the tablet back underneath the pillow. The sight of Jack's face startled her.

"Hey." His voice was quiet as he saw her opened eyes. "I just stopped by to see how you were doing and I told Billy if he wanted to run out that …"

She held up her hand. "Save it. I'm sure he called you. He's been hovering around me all day like he's afraid of what'll happen if he doesn't watch me every second."

Jack stepped into the room further. Talking to Phyllis about Billy wasn't the most comfortable of circumstances, but he couldn't just stand back and say nothing. "He's just worried about you. I know how that feels. Cut him some slack. He just wants to know you're okay."

"This is your chance," she said quietly as she struggled to push herself up against the pillows.

"My chance for what?"

"If you want to say it, now's the time to say it. I know you tried to tell me that something was wrong. I know you want to throw that in my face …"

Hearing the words come from her mouth hurt. With Billy, he could understand that he'd expect that sort of animosity, but he'd always hoped Phyllis would expect his care and concern for her to overrule any residual anger he had. Gently he took a seat at the end of the bed and looked at her. "Do you honestly think I want to say that? After everything we've gone through together, do you really think I want to sit here and throw that in your face?"

"No," she whispered. "I guess not."

"You do know that I was honestly worried about you don't you? I wasn't trying to insinuate myself into your life. I wasn't trying to mess things up with you and Billy. I just cared and I was trying to help."

"I guess I knew that … on some level, but I didn't want to admit that anything was wrong and now …." She felt her chest tighten, but she wasn't sure if it was the condition or her own guilt. "If I'd just …"

"Don't do that." He reached out and softly touched her arm. "No one thinks that. I don't and I'm sure Billy doesn't."

"How can he not? The doctors basically said as much … they said at this point surgery is pretty much the only option and that even then …" She shook her head, mindful of the words she'd read only minutes ago.

"What?" Billy hadn't given him much information about the condition, but from what little he'd said, it didn't sound good.

"The surgery is risky. I might not even …."

"Don't say that. I'm sure Billy has talked to the doctors and I'm sure he's calling in the best of the best to work on your case. If there's anything that can be done then …"

"That's just it, Jack. There might not be anything that can be done and even if there is, at what cost? If I have this surgery and then I'm basically useless for the rest of my life, what kind of life is that for him, for the kids, for …?"

"Stop that."

Jack turned towards the doorway as the sound of his brother's voice stopped the conversation suddenly. "Billy." He stood up quickly and moved towards him.

"What are you letting her talk like that for?" He stared into Jack's eyes, angry both at his brother for allowing such words to even be spoken and at the truth in the words themselves. "She's going through enough and you're gonna just sit there and let her call herself useless?"

He pulled the door closed, nudging Billy back a bit. "She doesn't need to hear us fighting," he said quietly. "And no, I wasn't gonna just sit there and let her talk like that. I was trying to tell her that you wouldn't think of it like that, but I didn't want to cut her off. She needs to talk about this, Billy. She needs to get this stuff out. If there's one thing I know about her it's that she'll keep stuff bottled up inside and if she's willing to talk, for the love of God, you need to let her. In the past, she never would have opened up like that. This is a side of her I haven't seen much of. She's changed and I think that's because of you."

"I didn't do anything, Jack." He leaned against the wall, the weight of the whole situation now weighing even heavier on him. "I don't know anything. I just want her to be okay and right now I've just got to get everything lined up so I can be here with her during the surgery recovery and …"

"Wait a minute …" Jack stopped him for a moment. "Have you talked with her about that?"

Billy looked at him. "About what? The surgery? The doctors were very clear. It's pretty much the only option. She's past the point of medications and therapies. The surgery is the only thing that has a chance of taking care of the problem and …"

"Okay, but did she agree to have the surgery?"

The question hung in the air for a moment as Billy considered the answer. "Well, she didn't really …" He swallowed hard as he looked at his brother. "What did she say to you?"

"I think you need to go talk to her," Jack said softly.

He moved towards the doorway but stopped as he felt his brother's hand gently grab his shoulder.

"Billy," Jack said quietly, "Just remember, she's just as scared as you are."


	13. Chapter 13

She barely looked at him when he walked into the room, choosing instead to ask the simple question, "Is he gone?"

He could tell she was upset, but he wasn't sure if it was with something Jack had said, something about their conversation, or if her anger was directed towards him for having Jack there. "Yeah," he said quietly, taking a step hesitantly into the room. "Listen, Phyllis, about Jack …"

"Did you pay him?"

"What?"

"You're supposed to pay a sitter you know … at least if you ever want to be able to call them back again and I'm pretty sure this was short notice, so he probably deserves a bonus." She saw the look in his eyes and she immediately regretted her words. Billy didn't deserve all her frustration. She knew he was only trying to help.

"I wasn't … I didn't …" He stammered as he tried to think of something to say to her, something that would make what he did seem better. In truth, he had asked Jack to come, he had asked him to stay with her in an effort to ensure that she was okay. It wasn't about hurting her. It was the complete opposite. He'd do anything, including face her wrath if it meant keeping her safe.

"It's okay," she said quietly, choosing in that moment to let him off the hook. "I get it. You're just trying to help."

He smiled at her then, sitting down on the bed and letting his hand rest comfortably on her leg. "I am." His voice was a whisper as he looked at her. The thought of losing her was something he rarely allowed his mind to consider, but sometimes, when he saw her like this, it was hard not to think the worst. "Jack said you were upset. What did he say to you?"

She shook her head. "Jack didn't say anything wrong. We were just talking about everything and I don't think he really understood … I guess you haven't told him."

"Told him what? That you have a heart condition and that there's a surgery that can cure it and that the doctors are running some tests to determine when they can schedule it? I've told him all of that and that's all there is to tell. It's a pretty short story." He tried to force a smile, but he could see it on her face and he knew that Jack had been right. He definitely needed to talk to her.

"Hey." He touched her cheek softly and she turned away a bit, the warmth of his touch somehow too much for her to bear. "Why do I feel like there's more going on here," he asked?

"We haven't really talked about the surgery much. The doctors came in and gave us all this information and I think you just kind of assumed that we'd …"

He tried not to let his emotions get the better of him. He tried to keep his voice steady as he readied himself to speak. Her hand slipped under the pillow as she pulled out the iPad. "I've been looking at some stuff and …"

"What are you doing with that?" Billy's head dropped to his chest as he saw her fingertips tapping at the screen. "You're supposed to be up here resting not …"

"Billy … I just … We've got to talk about this. There's so much stuff that we haven't even …" She could barely comprehend it herself. There seemed to be no good solution.

"I guess I don't think there's anything to talk about." He could hear the frustration in his own voice and he tried to soften his face as he spoke again. The last thing he wanted to do was make her feel as if he was arguing with her or that he was blaming her for anything. "You heard the doctor. You heard the statistics. There's not another viable option. If they don't do the surgery the chances of …"

"The medications will help. I'll feel better. I'll get better."

"For what? Five years? Ten years? And I'm supposed to be okay with that? That's supposed to be enough?" This wasn't a conversation he ever wanted to have, but he couldn't not say the words. He couldn't take the chance of her not hearing him, not understanding his point of view. "You want me to be okay with the fact that the life we've planned to have together might have to crammed into five or ten years. We're supposed to have a lifetime together and I …"

She turned away from him again, not able to look into the eyes that always seemed to be able to break her.

"Look at me," he said seriously, taking her chin in his hands and turning her back towards him. "I need you to talk to me … Please. Why? Why wouldn't do the surgery?"

"Look at this." She thrust the Ipad towards him. "Even if it works … best case scenario, it fixes everything and I'm fine and normal again, but that's not the typical outcome. Most people still have kind of complications even if the surgery is considered a success. And these complications, Billy they're …" She'd been trying to keep her mind busy, not wanting to allow the words she'd read on the screen to settle there for long. "If I had to choose between five or ten with you that we could spend living the way we'd planned or the rest of our lives with you taking care of me and finding people to check in on me and …"

"First of all, you don't know that. Everything could be fine, perfectly fine and if I have to wait on you for a while, I'm more than happy to do that. It just means we'll to spend more time together. I'm all for that, aren't you?" It was a desperate attempt to lighten the mood, one he already knew was a futile attempt.

"I'm serious, Billy. It's possible that I might never be able to have a normal life again even if the surgery works. All the plans we made, the trips we wanted to take, the vacations with the kids, all of it …"

"We'd make it work, however we had to because you'd be here and that would be enough. It would be more than enough. The kids adore you. They just want to spend time with you and if this gives you more time then …" He stopped for a moment, looking at her intently. "And what about me, what about us? We wasted so much time and now we have a chance to live the rest of our lives together. You can't ask me to be okay with giving that up."

"But you might be," she said sadly. "You fell in love with a woman that you called sexy and strong, a woman that used to be up for anything, that could meet you in the elevator during lunch or after work to jet off to New Orleans. Can you honestly tell me that you'd be happy with this woman?"

"I am happy with this woman." He was horrified to even hear her say the words. "Did I do something to make you think that I …"

"No. It's nothing like that, but God Billy … I don't even have the energy to climb the stairs without stopping. How are we ever going to have any kind of relationship like that … I don't want to become someone that you feel obligated to be with, someone that you love but don't feel passionate about anymore … I don't want …"

"Stop it …" He raised his hand in front of her, his voice breaking a bit, the tone almost a plea. He couldn't hear the words anymore. They hurt too much. He wasn't the best with words, but these might have been the most important ones he'd ever spoken. He took her hands in his and he stared directly into her eyes. "You listen to me. I want you here with me. I love you. I want a life with you. It's not about sex. It's not about vacations. It's not about spontaneity. It's about you and me getting to spend the rest of our lives together … however that happens. Things change. Life changes. People change. I'm sure as life goes on, I'll change too, but the one thing that I can promise you will never ever change is how much I love you and how much I want this life with you."

Silence seemed to scream in the room for what appeared to be forever. He couldn't take it anymore. "Okay, so I know I just made this huge speech about being okay with things changing, but I'm not sure I can get on board with the silent version of you. Come on now." He smiled at her, his entire body relaxing when he saw her smile at him in return. "What do you say? You willing to bet on us?"

"You're not supposed to gamble," she said softly as he ran his hand down her face, "but in this case, I guess I can make an exception. Yeah," she whispered, "I'm all in."


	14. Chapter 14

"I'm good." Billy turned away from Ashley extended hand as she tried to hand him the cup of hot hospital coffee. He heard the curt tone of his own voice and tried to soften it slightly. His eyes raised to look into those of his sister. He knew how Ashley felt about Phyllis and about their relationship. It said a lot that she was here. "Thanks, but I can't right now."

Ashley sighed. She knew Billy was going through hell. Waiting was some of the worst kind of torture. She'd waited for her own medical tests not too long ago and it was far worse waiting for those of someone you loved. She could still remember how long the waits had been for Jack and even for Billy when they'd spend the endless nights in these very halls, hoping and praying, and trying to convince themselves that no news was at least a form of good news. "Why don't you sit down?" she asked softly. "You're gonna wear a rut in the floor."

"I can't. I feel like my whole body is on pins and needles." He glanced at the clock on the wall. He'd swear he could hear it ticking. "Didn't they say it should only be four hours. It's been longer than that, right? Have you seen anyone come out of there?"

"I haven't." She reached out and rested her hand on his shoulder. "You know how doctors are though. They're always running behind schedule. I'm sure if something was wrong someone would have come out and told us by now."

Jack stepped up to the two of them. "Any news?"

Ashley shot him a look. "Nothing yet. They haven't come out." She could see the quick flash of worry cross his face and she hoped Billy hadn't noticed it as well. "Did you get to talk with Summer?" She hoped the change in subject would bring Billy some relief.

He nodded. "I did. I told her Phyllis was still in surgery and that I'd call her when they were out. She's getting a little restless."

"We all are," Billy said, the stress obvious in his voice, his eyes focused on the clock still. The hand seemed to stick in place.

"Billy, I'm sure it's just taking a bit longer than usual, that's all. Sometimes these things take time, that's all."

"What if that's not all?" He couldn't stop the thoughts that seemed to assault his brain. All this waiting simply gave him more time to think, more time to wonder if he'd made the wrong choice, if he shouldn't have pushed her the way he did. "If anything goes wrong … If anything happens to her, it's my fault. I did this. I pushed her into this."

"Don't do that to yourself," Ashley said. "Jack told me about what was going on and it was the only logical choice. The surgery could fix the problem. It would have been crazy not to do have done it. Not doing it would have almost certainly have shortened her life expectancy by tens of years. That's huge."

"And what if this ends it?" He felt sick as he said the words. For so many hours, he'd been sitting there, trying to keep the thought from flashing in his brain, but now he could no longer keep it at bay. The longer he waited, the more he worried, and the more he had to face the fact that his selfish need to 'fix' her, his desire to have all the time in the world, could cost him the precious time they had now.

Jack nodded at Ashley, his subtle gesture letting her know he wanted a moment alone with his brother.

"I'm gonna go check in with Abby," Ashley said quietly.

Billy could sense the real reason behind her sudden departure. "You can skip the pep talk, Jack."

"No pep talk." Jack followed him over to the chairs in the corner where Billy finally collapsed. "Just dishing out some facts. I've done this a few times before. I've been right where you are. Phyllis is strong and better than that, she's stubborn as all hell. If those doctors tell her she can't get back to 100%, that's exactly what she's going to be determined to do."

"But she wasn't. She wasn't determined to do this, Jack. She wasn't even sure she wanted to do this surgery. I'm the one that convinced her to do it. I'm the one that told her we had to roll the dice, to bet on us and now … what if we gambled more than we can afford to lose." He knew Jack was uncomfortable talking with him about Phyllis, but he needed to talk to someone and his brother was here. "I can't lose her, Jack. I just can't."

He could hear the pain in his little brother's voice and he recognized the helplessness he felt. "I know," he whispered. "You won't. She's gonna pull through this. I know she will."

* * *

"Family of Phyllis Summers?"

Billy jumped up and rushed across the room to meet the woman holding the clipboard. His insides trembled, his feelings waging an internal war. The waiting had been torturous, but what if the answers weren't what he wanted to hear.

"Is she okay?" His voice was hoarse with the emotion of the moment, the sound of his heart beating almost overwhelming the sound of his own words.

She nodded. "She's out of surgery, but she's still in recovery right now. We're having a little bit of trouble keeping her blood pressure stable, but we wanted to give you an update."

His stomach lurched. "What does that mean? Is it dangerous … I mean is she … Is she in danger of …?"

"It's not uncommon especially after a lengthy procedure. For some patients it just takes some time to stabilize." She flashed him a sympathetic smile. "I'll give you another update as soon as I can."

He tried to relax a bit as he watched her walk back through the swinging doors. Jack's hand clasped onto his shoulder as he stood there, staring at the barrier between him and the woman he loved, the one he still couldn't cross. All he wanted was to go to her, to hold her hand, to let her know he was there and he couldn't. Billy closed his eyes and prayed that somehow she knew he was here just waiting for her and he would stay right there … as long as it took.


End file.
